Korn/Ferry Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – great brand top name. The are the biggest firm in the world and have remained there for decades.

Cons – poor partnership environment. I was miserable. I was paid well but it cost me alot of money in the end working.

Advice to Senior Management – I would not know where to begin the problems are too immense for me to fix. But hire people who believe and carry on I guess

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – some great talent and opportunities to network with some of the best in the business

Cons – culture; and sincere lack of empathy or compassion for talent

Advice to Senior Management – Listen to the workers that do the work.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Korn/Ferry

Pros – International scope and Public experience in mid-sized company

Cons – Corporate politicking and promotions are difficult

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Wonderful people to work with.

Cons – Does a poor job of keeping and rewarding its best people. You basically have to be walking out the door to get a salary increase.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than a year

Pros – Top of compensation range for Associates. Nice office environment and perks.

Cons – No value put on knowledge that experienced Associates bring. The message is "if I want your opinion; I'll give it to you." The mandate is simply to generate an endless supply of pedigreed candidates with zero feedback from the Partner along the way ( I was lucky to get an audience with the Partner once every 10 days). Also, don't open your mouth on client calls, again, what you have to say is of no value. One month I was the golden child for making a $850,000 salary placement, 3 months later "laid off" because I wasn't delivering quality candidates. Again, zero feedback or coaching from senior management. If you are expert at playing politics you can do well at this firm, otherwise don't expect your senior manager to go to bat for you or ever have your back. Candidates are not treated with respect, I think people "respect" this firm because of fear of what it will do to their career if they don't play ball.

Advice to Senior Management – It seems that senior management (all older white males) mostly fear becoming irrelevant, losing their huge incomes and their lake houses and airplanes (company income generated from exec. search has been flat for years). Manage clients, don't just say "yes" to every unreasonable request then fire underlings when the mandate is not delivered. At the end of the day you guys are just headhunters not trusted advisors; you actually believe your own hype!

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Strong position in its industry sector; firm willing to take risks

Cons – Culture of everyone for themselves; unprofessional; not career development

Advice to Senior Management – Consider long-term consequences of management decisions

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Korn/Ferry as a contractor for more than a year

Pros – Competitive pay; since marketing dept is small, there's opportunity to participate in several projects; hours weren't too demanding so work-life balance was attainable.

Cons – No clear structure in place for career advancement; "old boys club" mentality; stagnant corporate culture; not a very creative/innovative environment.

Advice to Senior Management – When people first join the department, contracted or permanent, take the time to set up a measurable career-plan so that growth can be measured from both ends. And don't just stop there - the plan should be reviewed throughout the year to make sure that goals and responsibilities are being met and that the employee/managers are still on the same page regarding their career path with the firm -- and not another survey, but an open discussion. The more invested colleagues feel in their role within the firm/dept, the more likely they are to stay motivated and excited about the firm/department and its objectives.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – You can spend a lot of money for NOTHING

Cons – It's all just a dog and pony show. Smaller search frims offer better service, results and much better pricing

Advice to Senior Management – Get back to basics. The Barbie Dolls in New York are MONSTERS. The Devil wears Prada?

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Korn/Ferry full-time for more than 3 years

Pros – Great brand, great people, satisfying work. A differentiated platform that integrates excellent assessment tools in the search process.

Cons – Bean counters run the firm without taking a long term view about how to retain the most talented people.

Advice to Senior Management – Remember big billers aren't always the best leaders. Use information technology to improve efficiency and quality, not only as a marketing tool. Stop investing in low margin leadership consulting. Excess cash sitting on the balance sheet does not create shareholder value.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Korn/Ferry

Pros – Base is ok. Big corporate structure

Cons – Good only if you are a partner producing $1 million+ in revenues